Here is that blog post. Posted by: The Vintage Engineer | Category: Legacy Software

But it represents a golden era of desktop engineering. It was powerful enough to land a rover on Mars (Curiosity launched in 2011, likely prototyped on this version), but simple enough that a single PC could run it without needing a cloud GPU.

Absolutely. Every time you run plot(x,y) in 2024, you are standing on the shoulders of R2009b. Do you still have an old R2009b CD case on your shelf? Share a photo in the comments below!

But curiosity got the better of me. I spun up a Windows 7 virtual machine (yes, I know it’s insecure, don't @ me) and mounted the old ISO.

This post is for educational and historical reflection. The author does not condone using unlicensed software. Please use MATLAB via your institution's current license or the free Octave alternative.

I recently cleaned out a storage closet at my lab and found a relic: a burned DVD labeled "MATLAB R2009b - Windows." For a moment, I almost tossed it. After all, we are on R2024b now (or later, depending on when you read this). The new toolboxes are flashy. The AI integrations are everywhere.